Switch up your Beauty Routine in 1,2,3!

Switch up your Beauty Routine in 1,2,3!

It doesn’t take much to change your beauty routine.

Making time in the morning can sometimes be mission, impossible. The morning is your time to prepare for the daily grind, grab a cup of coffee and drop your kids off to school. However, to have make a good impression take time on your daily beauty routine with just a few steps that will help with your overall appearance, boost motivation and add a fresh start to a new day!

We all have our morning makeup routine to enhance our natural beauty. The basics include lightly styling your hair, applying your makeup and a spritz of perfume.  But what if a few minor tweaks could speak volumes not only for your hair or face but for your overall day?

The Hair Style

First, after shampooing & conditioning your hair, use a  hair protection spray like HBL Hair Care’s Thermal Spray to protect your hair from heat that can cause stress and damage. Then try out some new trends such as loose waves or a 5 minute sock bun that will stay in place all day long!

Brighten up your Face!

Before makeup, apply moisturizer to your face to replenish the moisture that is lost. You can use moisturizer with foundation and SPF 20 or higher. Use eye-brightening shimmer eyeliner or eye shadow, which easily smudge in warmer weather. Use water resistant mascara instead of ordinary mascara. Skip powder or used it in a part where you are oiliest. Try to use concealer in a bronze color to amplify more colorful/tanner cheekbones. Don’t forget to use lip balm or tinted lip color for hydration and smoother lips all day long.

Perfume 

For spring try an airy fragrant scent splurge a little. Try BCBG MAX AZRIA ‘Bon Chic’ Eau de Parfum with a blend of floral or citrus aromas, this will be inviting and enjoyable throughout work or school.

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Spring Beauty Trends 2013

Spring Beauty Trends 2013

It’s time to say goodbye to the winter weather! With that said, put away your deep, bold lip stick and warm dark eye shadows and opt for a bouquet of pastels for this season’s Spring Beauty Trends 2013. Just like your Pinterest feed- colors of cool mint, canary yellow and soft peach tastefully adorn stores and makeup counters alike. Therefore, choosing a Spring beauty trend that best fits your daily routine will go hand in hand with the cool spring months ahead.

Must-Have Beauty Essentials:

Luminous Lips

Light lips can say it all, with one classic color choice: Nude. Wearing a nude lip color is ideal because it works for both day and night, allowing you the ability to change up your appearance by toning your makeup up or down a notch.

For day, we recommend a sunkissed look of soft shadows on eyes while dazzling your cheekbones with shimmering bronzer. Thus, deepen the look with a deeper color palette on your lids and extended lashes for evening. For either day or night your nude lips color in either a matte finish or a gloss will allow you to extenuate your hair to go with it. Having lighter lips means you can play around a bit by brightening your clothing, going bigger with your hair and a bit more daring with your full length lashes no matter what time of day.

Effortless Eyes

Your eyes can speak volumes about your look with just one glance. Awaken your overall appearance by trying a splash of color but nothing overbearing. Apply a highlighter below your brows and near the center of yours eyes, we prefer a champagne or cream. Then lightly dab pale blue or lavender eye shadow across yours lids. With an effortless stroke you will have a subtle yet fresh and modern hint of spring that is vibrant but not too rash.

Fabulous Full Lashes

But what’s a girl to do with her lashes? Full lashes are a MUST no matter what season. For spring, models are walking the runway with a dramatic accentuated effect. A great way to get this look is to try a lash extender like Latisse. This product is a gradual treatment that guarantees fuller lashes overtime. Having fuller lashes can either be natural or extreme depending on how you apply your makeup. Therefore, as you set out for a quick trip to the mall or that happy hour downtown a dab of mascara and the correct lash extender will give you sexy, thicker lashes that will enhance your eyes an effortless effect this season.

Mix & Match Hair

With so many funky, artsy hair-do’s it is simple to get lost in the crowd. But stick to a hairstyle that is forever timeless like these four trends: stick straight hair (long or short), braids in every assortment, low ponytails and last but certainly not least; rock n’ roll waves that scream chic and edgy. You can add a zest of spring to your wardrobe by compiling prints and textures that are refreshingly sound, like chiffon camisoles, ankle length colored denim and floral accessories.

Last but not least…Nails

If you aren’t already obsessed with nail art, than this is your time to try a hip & easy montage with endless colors to choose from. Nails are the cherry on top to your ideal Spring 2013 look! Just like plucking your favorite ranunculus, grab nail colors that stand out like shades of rose, periwinkle, butter yellow, light mint, lime green and soft aqua.

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A Look At The Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory Properties Of Essential Oils And Aromatherapy

A Look At The Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory Properties Of Essential Oils And Aromatherapy

For much of mankind’s history, people have made use of herbal solutions to reduce pain and treat inflamed muscles, joints, and connective tissues. A tree had been the source of aspirin to alleviate pain, due in-fact to its inflammation-reducing action. Now, many expert natural health therapists and lay-practitioners are instead making use of aromatic oils for their anti-inflammatory properties, and addressing the painful symptoms of inflammation.
The oils used in aromatherapy give an easy means of reaping the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that holistic treatments can provide. All you have to do is mix a few a little essential oil in with a carrier or “base” oil and massage in to get nearly instant, sometimes long-lasting, pain alleviating results.
A look at the latest data uncovers a long list of abstracts where researchers have confirmed the anti-inflammatory effects of therapeutic essential oils. The oils used in therapies have been meticulously extracted to keep their medicinal potential. There’s a wide difference in aromatic oils in terms of their medicinal action, and one need to find therapeutic quality essential oils to realize this property.
The essential oils that comprise aroma therapeutic practices are really quite diverse natural chemical structures. Based on the plant from which they’re distilled, may provide a potent inflammation-reducing action which puts a halt to the formation of pro-inflammatory molecules in joints and muscles. There are a few oils where their activity might even be guessed, being extracted from herbs which have always been used for this particular purpose. Ginger and turmeric are two excellent examples.
Carbon-dioxide distillations (the latest, cold-process method of making essential oils) of both these plants are found in patented inflammation-reducing recipes. These CO2 distillations are readily available for any practitioner to utilize their profound therapeutic properties in their own formulations.
Just released are the data from a study done in Japan which confirm the anti-inflammation properties of a number of aromatherapy oils. These results affirms the inclusion of authentic essential oils in pain and inflammation relief formulas. The therapeutic essential oils proven to lessen the inflammatory response from occurring work by means of stopping production of the COX-2 pro-inflammatory enzyme. The essential oils examined in the research included oils from edible herbs like oregano and fennel, and a wide array of others such as oils from flowers, fruits, and tree leaves.
Certain oils considered by natural health practitioners to provide the most potent inflammation reducing actions employed in aromatherapy practice were not even examined. The implication is that there are naturally several of compounds present in aromatic plant oils which have inflammation reducing activity.
The greatest inflammation relief in the research was imparted by the the pure oil distilled from the aromatic herb “Thymus vulgaris“. The research continued using individual constituents of the oil, and it was learned that carvacrol demonstrated the most profound effect. This molecule is found in many other plant oils as well.
And that’s just a quick take on the subject, divulging anti-inflammation activity of essential oils. The important thing to note is that essential oils can offer a very effective, inexpensive means of treating inflammation, especially the ones which result from rheumatism and other physical pain related to aging. One of the most important aspects, too, of real essential oils is that they usually aren’t simply relieving the pain, but are often actually treating the illness, so that the symptoms might be eliminated even without their use.

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Eat Raw and Boost Your Immunity

Eat Raw and Boost Your Immunity 

Health researchers have long realized that eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables speeds up the rate at which Humans fight off infections like colds and flu, and even decreases one’s risk of becoming ill in the first place. Now, they have undeniable proof that this is because such foods are loaded with antioxidants – vitamins, minerals and enzymes that protect and repair cells from damage caused by free radicals – as well as other nutrients that increase immunity and boost overall good health.
Most of these immunity enhancing substances are sensitive to heat, and when the foods that contain them are cooked, those substances are either denatured or reduced. This is believed to be especially true of the three best known and most effective vitamin antioxidants:
Vitamin C – Nobel Prize laureate Linus Pauling believed that high doses of Vitamin C boosted immune system response and improved overall health. He has yet to be proven incorrect. The best sources of this powerful nutrient are berries (all of them), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, cauliflower, grapefruit, honeydew, kale, kiwi, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papaya, red, green or yellow peppers, snow peas, sweet potatoes, strawberries, and tomatoes.
Vitamin E – The need for Vitamin E increases as we age, because as we get older we become more susceptible to infections and illnesses. And this amazing nutrient has been shown to enhance even an already strong immune system, so long as its source is natural. And the best natural sources of Vitamin E are broccoli, carrots, chard, mustard and turnip greens, mangoes, nuts, papaya, pumpkin, red peppers, spinach, and sunflower seeds.
Beta Carotene – It doesn’t just enhance the functioning of the immune system, it also offsets much of the damaged caused by smoking and regular alcohol consumption. And unlike supplements, foods rich in beta-carotene pose no lung cancer risk. Synthetic beta-carotene supplements have been found to increase the risk of both colorectal and lung cancer in smokers, especially those who also consume alcohol. The best sources of this nutrient are apricots, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, corn, green peppers, kale, mangoes, turnip and collard greens, nectarines, peaches, pink grapefruit, pumpkin, squash, spinach, sweet potatoes, tangerines, tomatoes, and watermelon.
Immunity enhancing minerals are more resistant to heat than their more fragile vitamin counterparts, but even they can be lost through the cooking process. The most effective immunity boosting mineral antioxidants are:
Selenium – According to The American Society for Nutritional Sciences, “Selenium is essential for the efficient and effective operation of many aspects of the immune system in both animals and humans.” The best sources of Selenium are Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, oat bran, wheat bran, rice bran, fortified breads, caviar, as well as must cook items like liver, shellfish (oysters, whelk, mussels), fish, bacon, pork chops, shrimp (prawns, camarones), lobster and crab.
Zinc – According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, “Zinc is known to play a central role in the immune system, and zinc-deficient persons experience increased susceptibility to a variety of pathogens. The immunologic mechanisms whereby zinc modulates increased susceptibility to infection have been studied for several decades. It is clear that zinc affects multiple aspects of the immune system, from the barrier of the skin to gene regulation within lymphocytes. Zinc is crucial for normal development and function of cells mediating nonspecific immunity such as neutrophils and natural killer cells. Zinc deficiency also affects development of acquired immunity by preventing both the outgrowth and certain functions of T lymphocytes such as activation, Th1 cytokine production, and B lymphocyte help. Likewise, B lymphocyte development and anti-body production, particularly immunoglobulin G, is compromised. The macrophage, a pivotal cell in many immunologic functions, is adversely affected by zinc deficiency, which can dysregulate intracellular killing, cytokine production, and phagocytosis. … In persons suffering from marginal zinc deficiency, clinical signs are depressed immunity, impaired taste and smell, onset of night blindness, impairment of memory, and decreased spermatogenesis in males. Severe zinc deficiency is characterized by severely depressed immune function, frequent infections, bullous pustular dermatitis, diarrhea, alopecia, and mental disturbances.”
So, basically, without sufficient Zinc in your diet your health and ability to function normally, and even procreate, are severely compromised. The best sources of Zinc are beans, whole grains, wheat germ, dried watermelon seeds, pumpkin and squash seeds, dark chocolate and cocoa powder, peanuts, fortified cereals, dairy products, and must cook sources like lamb (mutton), crab, roast beef, veal liver and oysters.
Immunity enhancing phytonutrients and flavonoids are also highly sensitive to heat; some scientists claim even more so than vitamins. The most renowned for their immunity enhancing abilities are:
Quercetin – A phytonutrient that fights inflammation and helps to reduce allergies as well as boost immune response. As a matter of fact, in a two recent studies, Quercetin was able to significantly strengthen immunity in both Humans and animals exposed to the flu virus. This amazing nutrient can be found in the skin of the fruits like apples, red and black grapes, blueberries, blackberries, cherries. It’s also found in onions, capers, lovage, chamomile tea, green tea and other foods and beverages.
Luteolin – A flavonoid widely considered a super-nutrient. In addition to boosting immune response, studies have shown that Luteolin is an active “scavenger” of free radicals and may help protect the body against the damage of radiation and chemotherapy. Nearly all fruits and vegetables contain flavonoids. But Luteolin is found most abundantly in celery, green bell peppers, artichokes, blueberries, carrots, rosemary, fresh thyme, fresh peppermint, parsley and other fruits, veggies and herbs.
To insure that you stay healthy year round and avoid nutritional deficiencies, be sure to eat the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) of the aforementioned vitamins and minerals.
How much do you need?
Vitamin C – 90 mg. for men, 75 mg. for women. Smokers: 125 mg. for men and 110 mg. for women.
Vitamin E – 15 mg for both men and women.
Beta-carotene – There’s no RDA for beta-carotene, but the Institute of Medicine claims that taking 3 to 6 mg. daily may lower your risk of chronic diseases.
Selenium – 55 mg. For both men or women
Zinc – 11 mg. for men, 8 mg. for women. If you’re a strict vegetarian, you may require as much as 50% more dietary zinc, because your body absorbs less zinc when you have a diet rich in plant-based foods.
Unfortunately, there is no RDA for any phytochemicals or flavonoids, so there’s no clear-cut amount of Quercetin or Luteolin to aim for. But as long as you eat a diet high in the raw fruits and vegetables that contain those nutrients you should be fine.
The immune system is highly complex and has yet to be fully understood and explained by scientists, but one thing is abundantly clear – you can greatly increase it’s efficiency and stay out of the doctor’s office by simply eating a high nutrient diet. And one of the main benefits of eating raw, living foods is that you will preserve and consume more of the nutrients that bolster your immune system.
Eating large amounts of raw fruits and veggies may sound inconvenient, but when you consider how much time you’ll save on food prep and cooking, not to mention the amount of money you’ll save on nutritional supplements and medical bills, it’s actually more advantageous than eating cooked foods. And if you feel that you absolutely must cook some of your fruits and veggies, remember that steaming and boiling have been shown to preserve more of the nutrients than other cooking methods.

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apples

Would it surprise you to hear that apples really can keep the doctor away? And not just the cardiologist. The gastroenterologist, trichologist and dermatologist may also see less of their patients. Modern research has proven that apples really can maintain a healthy heart and colon, give one a fuller head of hair, as well as smoother skin.

For as long as I can remember, apples have had a heart healthy reputation. Now, short-term and long-term research studies have explained the reasons why that reputation is well-deserved.
According to multiple studies that have taken place over the past several years, drinking 12 oz. of apple juice each day reduces oxidation of LDL (low-density lipoproteins – the bad cholesterol) by 20%, while eating two whole apples a day has a reduction of 9%. This is a very important discovery, because LDL cholesterol oxidation activates the formation of plaque on coronary artery walls. There was no explanation for why the juice was more effective than whole apples, but I think it’s reasonable to assume that more than two apples are needed to make 12 ounces of apple juice.
In a long-term research study, led by Dr. Victor Fulgoni, PhD. (the Iowa Women’s Health Study), which tracked more than 34,000 older Caucasian women for 18 years, a link between apple consumption and a lowered risk of dying from cardiovascular and coronary heart diseases was discovered.
I am aware that this research study is highly controversial, as there are many who believe that this particular study was conducted for the sole purpose of discrediting nutritional supplements. However, anyone who has actually read the study can plainly see that it actually disproved what some claimed was proven. That fact alone gives the data collected credibility. In any case, I see no valid reason to disregard the apple and heart disease mortality findings, particularly when you factor in the results of other recent studies, which don’t just demonstrate the causality between apple consumption and lowered heart disease rates, but explains them.
Another example of this would be the study the Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences at The Florida State University, in Tallahassee, presented at Experimental Biology 2011, in Washington, D.C.. The researchers recruited 160 women and randomly selected which would eat daily servings of dried apples and which would eat the dried plums (prunes).
The participants received blood tests at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. Each time the researchers looked for the markers of heart health. After one year, the women in the apple group experienced a 14% drop in their total cholesterol. Their LDL cholesterol was reduced by an average of 23%. In addition, levels of lipid hydroperoxide, a biochemical involved in the formation of heart-clogging plaques, and C-reactive protein, which is a marker of inflammation, decreased by approximately 1/3. Another benefit was that the women had lost an average of three pounds by the end of that year.
This study’s results are consistent with the other 80+ studies conducted since 2005, ALL of which suggest that apples are highly beneficial to heart health.



Dietary fiber is necessary to the health of your bowels and the shape of your stools. And, as everyone knows, apples are dense with fiber; and a lot of it is contained in the skin. One medium-sized apple (malus domestica) contains approximately 2.4 grams of dietary fiber.

Fiber-filled foods like apples benefit bowel health, because the fiber helps bind together the bits of food in your small intestines as they move along to the colon, while also drawing water to the stool to make it softer and easier to pass. Apples act as a natural cleanser for the bowels, keeping the digestive system working properly. This is extremely important, because, to quote Dr. Bernard Jensen, “It is an indisputable fact that not only illness and old age but even death itself are due to the accumulation of waste products (within the body)… to the inability of the body to replenish its cellular structures and organs with fresh, vital nutrients.”

Nothing demonstrates the truth of that quote better than colon cancer. Colon cancer is the #2 cancer killer among women, world-wide, and the #3 cancer killer of men, world-wide. Fortunately, apples aren’t just useful for prevention. A recent study demonstrated that Oligosaccharides from apples killed up to 46% of cancer cells in a human colon, outperforming the most popular chemotherapy drug on the market by a wide margin, at every dose level and without the toxic side-effects of the drug.



In 2002, Japanese researchers at the Tsukuba Research Laboratory in Tsukuba, Japan discovered two natural compounds that aided hair growth. One of those compounds, Procyanidin B-2, came from unripe apples. Procyanidin B-2, a B type proanthocyanidin (a class of polyphenol- flavonoid), appears to control proteins in a way that makes new hair growth possible.
The first clinical study treated 29 balding men with apple Procyanidin B- 2. After 6 months, it was discovered that both vellus (“baby” hair) and terminal (regular/long) hair growth in the Procyanidin B-2 group was “significantly greater” than that of the placebo control group. This proved to be true in all known studies conducted with apple Procyanidin B-2.
In at least one of those studies, the researchers also noted an increase in hair diameter – an average diameter increase of 78.9%! And the ratio of thicker hairs was “significantly higher” than the placebo control group; and, as with the previous and following studies, the total number of hairs was also “significantly greater” than the control group. Great news for anyone suffering from male pattern baldness and thinning hair.
Ripe apples also contain Procyanidin B-2, though not as much as unripe apples. Keep in mind that the compound was applied topically to the scalps of the test subjects. So, there’s no need to make yourself ill, by eating multiple unripe apples, to attain the hair regrowth and thickening benefits of Procyanidin B-2.



There is a plethora of anecdotal evidence and first-person accounts of acne blemished skin being healed by consuming apples. There are even a few tales of wrinkles and fine lines being smoothed by applying apple slices and/or apple juice to the face. Such stories are all over the world wide web, in both video and blog form. And while some of these stories may strain the boundaries of credibility (wrinkle smoothing, for example), it’s highly improbably that the massive number of acne cure stories are all false.
After all, anything that improves bowel health will benefit your entire body. Fiber cleanses the pipes, so to speak; it moves waste, and the toxins created by that waste, out of the body properly. This means that those toxins do not have to plot a secondary escape route through the body’s largest organ – the epidermis (skin) – in order to leave your body and protect your health.
In addition, apples contain Pectin – a special kind of fiber. Pectin, whether it comes from apples or other fruits, has been proven to boost the immune system, among other things. In multiple recent studies, Pectin increased levels of interleukin-4, a compound that induces creation of infection-fighting mast cells. And anything that boosts the immune systems function is likely to keep acne at bay, because acne is (generally) caused by bacteria.
One young man on YouTube (Acne Erasing Secrets) says that he has stumbled onto a surefire acne cure: fasting on organic apples. He claims this organic apple fast – lasting three days at a time – can clear up acne- prone skin, when performed periodically.
Knowing that apples cleanse the bowels and boosts the immune system, I have no doubt that the an apple fast can work on people who’s acne issues are being cause by ordinary internal issues. However, if your acne is being caused by pore-plugging cosmetics or pharmaceutical drugs that contain corticosteroids, androgens or lithium, it is highly improbable that an apple fast will do you much good.

• Stroke prevention – Researchers in Finland studied 9,208 peoplefor 28 years and discovered that those who frequently ate apples were less likely to suffer a stroke. Another recent study, from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, indicates that fruits with white flesh – such as apples and pears – can reduce stroke risk by 52%.

• Metabolic Syndrome – The name for a group of risk factors that occur together and increase the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Apples have been studied in reference to metabolic syndrome and the research has proven that apples lower the risk of this condition. Apples contain phytonutrients / antioxidants that support heart health, and the soluble fiber in apples lowers your risk of heart disease by decreasing LDL cholesterol levels. In one study, people who had reported eating any form of apples within the past 24 hours had lower blood levels of C- reactive protein – a marker for inflammation, which signifies an elevated risk for both diabetes and heart disease.

• Cancer prevention – The American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) recently added apples to their list of Foods That Fight Cancer. Their website states, “In laboratory studies, flavonoids such as quercetin and the triterpenoids found in apples have slowed the development of cancers of the colon, lung and breast in several stages of cancer development. … Current research suggests that protection may come as much from directly affecting cell growth as from antioxidant activity.” There’s also the oligosaccharides study that I mentioned earlier.

• Weight loss – Multiple studies have shown that eating apples, and even applesauce, on a regular basis will decrease your risk of developing abdominal fat. It seems that, in addition to the Fiber in apples making one feel fuller, longer, the Pectin acts as a natural appetite suppressant. Apples are also quite low in calories and sodium, which means you won’t consume many calories even if you are somehow able to wolf down a dozen of them; nor will you retain excess water weight. The minerals and other nutrients contained in apples can help control cravings, since most carbohydrate cravings are a result of blood sugar imbalance. In one study, subjects who ate apples (and pears) not only lost more weight than the subjects who consumed the same number of calories in oat cookies, but their blood sugar levels were also lower.

• Tooth whitening – It’s been scientifically proven that the malic acid in apples can actually whiten teeth. Malic acid is commonly used in commercial tooth whitening products, because it safely dissolves stains from the surface of teeth. So, if you want to whiten and brighten your smile, it’s as cheap and easy as chewing on an apple after meals.

Apples are a true super-food! Not only do they help the heart, the bowels, male pattern baldness, hair thinning and skin conditions like acne; they also protect against stroke, metabolic syndrome, cancer, assist with weight loss and even whiten teeth. That is a LONG list of achievements for just one fruit. An animal study conducted at Cornell University even suggests that apples may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease! More studies need to be done on that subject, of course, but still… The potential is astonishing.

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Re-Body Greens Review

Re-Body Greens Review

Everyone is starting to pay attention to how they are going to look now that it is shorts and tank top weather. For many people, it means getting in a little more exercise, eating a bit healthier, and perhaps adding in a supplement or two that will help them reach their healthy weight goals.

RE-BODY believes that long lasting weight-loss is possible, and they want to help you get to your healthy weight. Each RE-BODY product is designed to help you with your health and wellness/weight management goals. Combined with your reduced-calorie diet and exercise, these tools will aid you in achieving and maintaining the healthy weight you’ve been working hard to achieve. Some of their products include Green Coffee Bean Extract and Saffron Hunger Chews.

My favorite product of theirs is their RE-BODY Greens.  I love that with each glass of this green drink, I am getting a ton of ultra healthy, certified organic, non-GMO greens that I wouldn't normally get in my average diet. I mean, as much as I'd love to be able to chomp down on some fermented grasses, spirulina, and chlorella, I just can't. But, those are superfoods, and I want them in my diet, which is why I am so thankful 

RE-BODY makes this awesome drink that gives me them in a drink that I don't have to choke down.

It is very easy for me to add one little scoop of their green mix to my glass of water and get tons of nutrients and foods I may not be able to get in my diet any other way. It is so pure and refreshing, and I get an instant energy burst every time I drink it.

I think it is also important to point out, that there is also no added sugar, flavors, fillers, soy lecithin, gluten, soy, dairy or artificial anything - just pure, clean, healthy power greens!

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Chocolate Coconut Bark Recipe

I am a chocolate lover. I say that with pride. Dark chocolate is full of health benefits, so I stand here loud and proud to declare my love for dark chocolate.

Lately, I have been experimenting with making chocolate bark, because it is simply melt-in-your-mouth, creamy, sweetly divine. I want to share my latest recipe, which involves using Blue Monkey Coconut Chips. They add the perfect crunch to the luxurious smoothness of the chocolate bark (not to mention they also add heart-healthy fiber). 

Sit down with a piece or two of this at night and savor each moment...

hocolate Coconut Bark Recipe

You will need:
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate (I like to use above 70% cacao)
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup of coconut chips (or add raisins, chopped nuts or seeds, whatever you are in the mood for or have on hand)

Melt chocolate over low heat. Add butter and melt together.
Mix in coconut chips or other add-ins.

Spread in a 9x13 pan. Smooth with a spatula. Stick in the freeze until set and then refrigerate.

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